Lorenzo wins Italian GP as Marquez finishes 16th

LUCO DI MUGELLO, Italy: Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo claimed his first MotoGP win in a year and a half at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello on Sunday as world championship leader Marc Marquez fell and finished in 16th place.

Lorenzo took the lead early and held on til the end with Italian Ducati teammate Andrea Dovizioso finishing second and Valentino Rossi, who had started from pole position, completing the podium on a Yamaha.

Spanish world champion Marquez remains top of the championship standings after five races despite finishing way down in 16th after crashing into the gravel early in the race and struggling to restart his Honda.

“It’s a special to win here with Ducati,” said former three-time world champion Lorenzo of his first win with the Italian team.The Spaniard, who had retired from two of the first four races this season in Qatar and Spain.

Marquez had been bidding for his fourth straight win this season but slipped on lap five with former seven-time world MotoGP champion Rossi, 39, moving up to second in the standings 23 points behind.

“It was a very difficult race, but we expected it, I struggled a lot especially at the front,” said Rossi.“But in the end what I did was the right choice, because I managed to push in the final but keeping (Andrea) Iannone at a distance. It was my goal to return to the podium at Mugello, I’m very happy.”

Earlier Portuguese KTM rider Miguel Oliveira snatched his first win in the MotoGP2 category this season as Spaniard Jorge Martin rode his Honda to a thrilling battle to the line in the MotoGP3 category.